When cages or cells have their doors latched together by padlocks or cables of the usual type, it has been found that intelligent animals, especially primates, are able to reach the locks and manipulate them with their fingers until they are opened; and they are then able to escape from their cage.
It is the principal object of this invention to provide a simple, light-weight latch for securing the door of an animal cage or cell for latching the bars of the cage door in place with a strong cable, the ends of which cannot be reached and manipulated by the incarcerated animal and are only accessible for release by an attendant or keeper with a key.
This and other objects are realized in accordance with the present invention in a device comprising a hollow cylindrical barrel open at one end, and partly closed at the other end to hold in place a cable element, terminating in a stop which is caught in an axially-disposed constriction at the end of the barrel. The other end of the cable takes the form of a loop. Near the cable end of the barrel is a slot cut diagonally to the axis of the barrel and passing into the hollow axial chamber of the barrel. The open end of the barrel is internally screw-threaded to accommodate a screw-threaded arbor stud having a cylindrical nub projecting along the axis towards the cable end of the barrel. The arbor stud is moved longitudinal in the barrel along the internal screw threads by application of a key through the open end of the barrel. The key has a central female slot in the base of its shank which accommodates a boss on the arbor stud and rotates the arbor stud in the barrel when the key is interposed and turned. The cylindrical nub on the inner end of the arbor stud is constructed to penetrate and hold in place the looped end of the cable when the loop is interposed into the cylindrical barrel through the diagonal slot. When the shank of the key has been removed, the screw-threaded arbor stud and the looped end of the cable are secure in the barrel beyond reach of animal or human fingers. Thus, the latch cannot be opened until the key is reapplied through the open end of the barrel to loosen the arbor stud.
Other objects, features and advantages of the detachable security device of my invention will be apparent from a study of the attached drawings with reference to the detailed description hereinafter.